Hey Polkies. Question for you all about the possibility of getting some bookshelf speakers to mount for my projection screen room. I'm debating between going with a pair of RTi4 ($75) or RTi6 ($125). I have a Bic F12 subwoofer so I tend to crossover my speakers at about 80-90hz. The room is mostly for HT, but some music listening as well. Is there any benefit of going with the RTi6 if I have a subwoofer? Aren't I only missing out on some lower frequencies that the sub will cover anyways?

Any help regarding this would be very helpful. Thanks!

This is actually a tough call. The 6's do have a bit more bass, but they're also not as "forward" as the 4's which means they don't have the same sound. I do think the 6's are a bit more detailed, but I love the sound of the 4's, especially as surrounds. If you're going with four or more speakers, I'd definitely go with the 6's up front, but definitely consider the 4's as the surrounds.

This is actually a tough call. The 6's do have a bit more bass, but they're also not as "forward" as the 4's which means they don't have the same sound. I do think the 6's are a bit more detailed, but I love the sound of the 4's, especially as surrounds. If you're going with four or more speakers, I'd definitely go with the 6's up front, but definitely consider the 4's as the surrounds.

I can vouch for that configuration. We use Rti6 for mains and Rti4's as surround with a Csi3 and a small 8" sub in the family room for TV and casual music and they are perfectly matched... also perform respectably for their size.

OTOH there's a significant difference in sound between those in the family room and the Rti towers we have for primary HT duty in the living room.

Alright! Thanks for the responses fellas. Now, if I'm running a Bic F12 subwoofer with either of these speakers, the bass that the RTi6 puts out is moot, correct? I cross speakers over around 80-90hz so neither the RTi4 or RTi6 will benefit from a frequency response in the sub 80hz range. Is it the midrange, then, that people find more "full" on the 6 compared to the 4?

The 4's could be had for about $75, whereas the 6's could be be purchased for around $125. I already have bipolar fluance for surrounds so I don't plan on ever moving these as surrounds. I then of course would have to get the center channel: CSi3 or CSi5. I hear the CSi5 blows it's younger brother out of the water, but it's substantially larger.

My room is 12x21 with 7 foot ceilings. Mostly for HT, but also music as well. I rarely do two channel music listening so I'm always running my stuff with the sub. Would the 4's be ok for this size room, or is it just better to get the 6's to be safe?

Alright! Thanks for the responses fellas. Now, if I'm running a Bic F12 subwoofer with either of these speakers, the bass that the RTi6 puts out is moot, correct? I cross speakers over around 80-90hz so neither the RTi4 or RTi6 will benefit from a frequency response in the sub 80hz range. Is it the midrange, then, that people find more "full" on the 6 compared to the 4?

The 4's could be had for about $75, whereas the 6's could be be purchased for around $125. I already have bipolar fluance for surrounds so I don't plan on ever moving these as surrounds. I then of course would have to get the center channel: CSi3 or CSi5. I hear the CSi5 blows it's younger brother out of the water, but it's substantially larger.

My room is 12x21 with 7 foot ceilings. Mostly for HT, but also music as well. I rarely do two channel music listening so I'm always running my stuff with the sub. Would the 4's be ok for this size room, or is it just better to get the 6's to be safe?

To be perfectly honest and up-front, I would say that the 6's are going to sound a bit warmer and give you a much fuller speaker sound. The crossovers and drivers will help to supplement a smooth transition into the Bic F-12.

Even when crossed over at 80 Hz, you are going to hear sounds all the way down to say 40 Hz. It's just the way the crossovers are designed. The larger drivers are going to go down below the crossover point a bit. Crossovers are not brick walls. They are gradual attenuation of the frequencies.

If you have the room, and the money, the RTi6's are going to be a wonderful addition to your theater.

Bottom line, crossed over at 80 Hz, you will get a deeper, richer, fuller sound from the RTi6s.

I have an Onkyo TX-NR616 and am looking to get entry level speakers for a bedroom. I'm considering a pair of 75T's , 25C, and 45Bs for surround. I've seen these go for good prices when on sale (I'm in no hurry) and was curious if you think my receiver is enough to power this setup? I will not be needing a sub because it's a secondary home theater for casual use and no need for the boom.

I'm also curious how much difference would moving up to an Onkyo TX-NR818 make (115 vs 135w)? Nothing is set in stone but I'd like to know specifically about these 2 receivers for the above setup. I have the NR818 in my living room and if it's not going to make a huge difference (with the 75T's) then I'll keep it there.. but if it does then I have no problem selling my NR616 and getting a better amp for the main room. I realize that most will recommend a sub but the room it's going in is like 12x12 and it's kinda crowded already with a low ceiling so as long as those 75T's can pump out SOME bass then I'll be happy.

edit--> I may as well ask what's the difference between the Monitor 70 series II vs 75T? Polk has a pair of 70 II's on sale for a good price now. Would the 25C and 45Bs still be an ideal match for these too?

I have an Onkyo TX-NR616 and am looking to get entry level speakers for a bedroom. I'm considering a pair of 75T's , 25C, and 45Bs for surround. I've seen these go for good prices when on sale (I'm in no hurry) and was curious if you think my receiver is enough to power this setup? I will not be needing a sub because it's a secondary home theater for casual use and no need for the boom.

I'm also curious how much difference would moving up to an Onkyo TX-NR818 make (115 vs 135w)? Nothing is set in stone but I'd like to know specifically about these 2 receivers for the above setup. I have the NR818 in my living room and if it's not going to make a huge difference (with the 75T's) then I'll keep it there.. but if it does then I have no problem selling my NR616 and getting a better amp for the main room. I realize that most will recommend a sub but the room it's going in is like 12x12 and it's kinda crowded already with a low ceiling so as long as those 75T's can pump out SOME bass then I'll be happy.

edit--> I may as well ask what's the difference between the Monitor 70 series II vs 75T? Polk has a pair of 70 II's on sale for a good price now. Would the 25C and 45Bs still be an ideal match for these too?

Thanks.

1) power wise no difference. I would recommend external amps.
2) all monitor series are the same. Thy just look different.

I won't hear a difference between the recievers or towers? if your talking about recievers then I figured the extra (little bit of) power of the NR818 would make an impact but didn't know by how much. I'm trying to keep this as cheap and simple of a solution as possible so no subs or external amps. I'll be laying in bed and watching non-critical shows/films and listening to music so I'm hoping either one of my receiever will adequately power it.

About the towers.. I was curious if the newer design of the 75T made any difference. From what I gather, the 70's tweeter is placed at a lower location (which may be beneficial) and is magnetically shielded. If they both sound the same then I'll go with what's cheaper.

I won't hear a difference between the recievers or towers? if your talking about recievers then I figured the extra (little bit of) power of the NR818 would make an impact but didn't know by how much. I'm trying to keep this as cheap and simple of a solution as possible so no subs or external amps. I'll be laying in bed and watching non-critical shows/films and listening to music so I'm hoping either one of my receiever will adequately power it.

About the towers.. I was curious if the newer design of the 75T made any difference. From what I gather, the 70's tweeter is placed at a lower location (which may be beneficial) and is magnetically shielded. If they both sound the same then I'll go with what's cheaper.

the primary sonic benefit of the 818 over your 616 is the inclusion of audyssey xt32 in the 818 - not the minimal difference in power ratings between the two avr's.

the new monitors and the monitor series II's (and the first gen monitors for that matter) have so close a sonic signature that it is not worth worrying about differences between them. I agree on get whichever one you can find cheaper.

for casual listening in my bedroom i use a pair of monitor 60's and a cs1 powered of an older denon 1611 and have no complaints. i was at one time running a full 7.1 (monitor 70's, cs2, monitor 60's for surrounds and monitor 40's as heights) set up off the 1611 and did run into power problems at near reference levels. but for most peoples normal viewing habits in a bedroom environment a lower powered avr is likely just fine. however don't discard the benefits of audyssey xt32 if you do decide to move up the onkyo avr ladder.

I recently expanded my current setup from 5.1 to 7.1, and picked up a pair of RTi8's for my rears on a sale at Frys I happenstanced upon...$320 for the pair! They fit perfectly with the rest of my system now. I originally planned on a set of bookshelves, but at the price the RTi8's were on sale I couldnt pass it up!

RTi10's in black for fronts
CSi3 in black center
FXiA6 sides
RTi8's in black for rears

When friendship ( and all the random talk it generates in real life ) goes away from a public place, that is what happens. It now feels like a religious sister school class. And the finger ruler shots were given too.

When friendship ( and all the random talk it generates in real life ) goes away from a public place, that is what happens. It now feels like a religious sister school class. And the finger ruler shots were given too.

I'm just bought tsx 550 towers and tsx 150 center and tsx 220b for tears and surrounds with two psw 108 subs for a 13'9 wide room by 21' long with a yamaha 677 reciever. Do you guys figure this will be a decent setup for my projected movies and gaming?

I'm by no means a speaker expert and I need some help. I just got a pair of monitor 65t's to use as my fronts as an upgrade to my old monitor 45's. I hooked them up and everything seems to work but the sound coming from them sounds kind of off. I first noticed it on my ps4 while scrolling through the menus I couldn't really hear the tone sound anymore. So I played some music and turned off my center so I could hear just the fronts and they don't sound great. The woofers on them don't move at all where my center was thumping when turned up. I hooked backup one of the 45's and the woofers on that also had a thump you could feel. I want to make sure I don't have bad speakers are these just designed this way? Do they need to break in more? Or is my denon 1912 just not capable of giving these enough power? I did set them up with audyssey in case anyone was wondering.

I'm by no means a speaker expert and I need some help. I just got a pair of monitor 65t's to use as my fronts as an upgrade to my old monitor 45's. I hooked them up and everything seems to work but the sound coming from them sounds kind of off. I first noticed it on my ps4 while scrolling through the menus I couldn't really hear the tone sound anymore. So I played some music and turned off my center so I could hear just the fronts and they don't sound great. The woofers on them don't move at all where my center was thumping when turned up. I hooked backup one of the 45's and the woofers on that also had a thump you could feel. I want to make sure I don't have bad speakers are these just designed this way? Do they need to break in more? Or is my denon 1912 just not capable of giving these enough power? I did set them up with audyssey in case anyone was wondering.

Thanks!

Ok, lets assume the 65T's are not defective. Lets check a few things:

1 - did you rerun your room eq program after adding the 65T's in the system? edit - i see that you did rerun audyssey.
2 - double check the jumper between both sets of binding posts on the back of the 65T's is present and that the binding posts are tightly screwed down holding it in place.
3 - double check your speaker wiring - is it in phase? black binding post out from the denon should go to black binding post in on the 65T - same thing for the red binding posts.

check out the above and report back. also of note, your denon should power those speakers to near ear bleeding levels.

I'm just bought tsx 550 towers and tsx 150 center and tsx 220b for tears and surrounds with two psw 108 subs for a 13'9 wide room by 21' long with a yamaha 677 reciever. Do you guys figure this will be a decent setup for my projected movies and gaming?

What matters most is if they sound good to you. If they do then I would just enjoy them.

Now, if you ask for my personal opinion, I would ask you how much did you spend on that set up.

1 - did you rerun your room eq program after adding the 65T's in the system? edit - i see that you did rerun audyssey.
2 - double check the jumper between both sets of binding posts on the back of the 65T's is present and that the binding posts are tightly screwed down holding it in place.
3 - double check your speaker wiring - is it in phase? black binding post out from the denon should go to black binding post in on the 65T - same thing for the red binding posts.

check out the above and report back. also of note, your denon should power those speakers to near ear bleeding levels.

Thanks for the reply. I think I figured it out and now I feel pretty dumb. I assume the jumper between the binding post was the small flat piece of metal that was screwed down in between them. If so I incorrectly took it for some kind of packaging and removed it. I assume this is causing my bad sound. I may have thrown these out if so what is my best option to fix it? My receiver supports bi-wiring since I'm not using 7.1 is that the easiest fix? And am I harming the speakers running them without the jumper?

Thanks for the reply. I think I figured it out and now I feel pretty dumb. I assume the jumper between the binding post was the small flat piece of metal that was screwed down in between them. If so I incorrectly took it for some kind of packaging and removed it. I assume this is causing my bad sound. I may have thrown these out if so what is my best option to fix it? My receiver supports bi-wiring since I'm not using 7.1 is that the easiest fix? And am I harming the speakers running them without the jumper?

Thanks again!

just use a peace of speaker wire to replace the brass connector for each binding post.

So Last night I lost my Pinnacle BD 300 center channel and right Main Pinnacle bd1000 to a silly mishap with a ladder I was using to change the theater pot lights. I like these speakers and they have been great but replacing them is not an option as Pinnacle is sa la vie. I am considering the RTIa7 or RTIa5 with the CSiA4 as a center. MY Amp is a Denon 3312ci rated at 125 watts per channel (probably around 90 watts or so with all 7.1 channels driven, IDK?). Will this amp push the RTIa7 or RTIa5 without struggling? Since i am having to replace the Brand, i ordered the Polk FXiA4 surrounds after research and am now working on the mains and center. You know, the timber match thingy mabob lingo. Thanks

So Last night I lost my Pinnacle BD 300 center channel and right Main Pinnacle bd1000 to a silly mishap with a ladder I was using to change the theater pot lights. I like these speakers and they have been great but replacing them is not an option as Pinnacle is sa la vie. I am considering the RTIa7 or RTIa5 with the CSiA4 as a center. MY Amp is a Denon 3312ci rated at 125 watts per channel (probably around 90 watts or so with all 7.1 channels driven, IDK?). Will this amp push the RTIa7 or RTIa5 without struggling? Since i am having to replace the Brand, i ordered the Polk FXiA4 surrounds after research and am now working on the mains and center. You know, the timber match thingy mabob lingo. Thanks

I'm running my RTi10, CSi5, and 4 FXiA6 on my Denon 3808ci (130/ch) and it sounds great. If you go with the RTiA7s, id go with the CSiA6 and FXiA6 .. if RTiA5, then the A4s .. Might look for some deals on RTi10 and CSi5 as they are basically the same as the RTiA7 and CSiA6, just different cabinet.

I'm running my RTi10, CSi5, and 4 FXiA6 on my Denon 3808ci (130/ch) and it sounds great. If you go with the RTiA7s, id go with the CSiA6 and FXiA6 .. if RTiA5, then the A4s .. Might look for some deals on RTi10 and CSi5 as they are basically the same as the RTiA7 and CSiA6, just different cabinet.

I'm going to slightly disagree. I would go with the CSI5 and not the CSIa4 even if going with the RTIa5. They match perfectly.

So Last night I lost my Pinnacle BD 300 center channel and right Main Pinnacle bd1000 to a silly mishap with a ladder I was using to change the theater pot lights. I like these speakers and they have been great but replacing them is not an option as Pinnacle is sa la vie. I am considering the RTIa7 or RTIa5 with the CSiA4 as a center. MY Amp is a Denon 3312ci rated at 125 watts per channel (probably around 90 watts or so with all 7.1 channels driven, IDK?). Will this amp push the RTIa7 or RTIa5 without struggling? Since i am having to replace the Brand, i ordered the Polk FXiA4 surrounds after research and am now working on the mains and center. You know, the timber match thingy mabob lingo. Thanks

What sub? If sub is decent, RTi A5's IMHO. Otherwise A7's.... A5's easier to drive w/ AVR you have. Go big or go home on center. CSiA6 or CSi5.

Quote: There exists, for everyone, a sentence - a series of words - that has the power to destroy you. Another sentence exists, another series of words, that could heal you. If you're lucky you will get the 2nd, but you can be certain of getting the 1st. - Philip K. Dick

using a pinnacle sub100 in a 12' x 17' room as shown in pictures above. It is not a bad sub by no means but i am sure there are better ones out there now. the room is treated so that helps with the mix

using a pinnacle sub100 in a 12' x 17' room as shown in pictures above. It is not a bad sub by no means but i am sure there are better ones out there now. the room is treated so that helps with the mix

Any thought to going with the A3's so you can wallmount em and then buying 2 decent subs to replace the one you've got?

Quote: There exists, for everyone, a sentence - a series of words - that has the power to destroy you. Another sentence exists, another series of words, that could heal you. If you're lucky you will get the 2nd, but you can be certain of getting the 1st. - Philip K. Dick

LOL! as i appreciate the suggestion, I would simply say that at this point i am still in mourning over the loss of the right and center Pinnacle so maybe i am making irrational decisions on purchases but at this time I prefer the Floor towers. Not saying they sound better but they do look Mean and sexy as Hell!